I had an early client meeting this morning which meant I needed to be downtown by 8:00. Over the last few months I’ve become accustomed to not having to fight rush hour traffic. Most days my morning schedule includes dropping my boys at school, working out and writing for at least an hour before taking a leisurely shower and heading to the office by 10:00ish. I encounter very little traffic and enjoy a podcast or music during my 20 minute drive.

Before I started this new work routine, I drove hundreds of miles a week. I commuted 45-50 minutes to my company’s corporate office at least 2 times a week and drove to various locations at least 2 hours from corporate at least once a week. I also bounced between facilities ranging from 10-45 minutes from my home the remaining work days. In 2 years, I put 60,000 miles on my car. Sure, I was reimbursed for mileage and had a healthy car allowance, but the minimum 10 hours every week I spent driving, frequently in traffic, is time I’ll never get back. I did listen to books on tape and podcasts and even prepped for my SPHR exam while driving, but the physical and emotional toll commuting took on me was legit.

Weirdly, I didn’t mind the driving that much when I was in the thick of it. I gradually grew accustomed to long hours in the car and convinced myself I enjoyed the solitude and the time to myself. I think this is a mental game anybody with a long commute plays because admitting you’re wasting your life behind the wheel is too much to bear. In reality, the extensive driving contributed to unhealthy habits (too much coffee, fast food and no exercise), cut into my time with my boys and made me feel busy even though that time was unproductive.

The epitome of unproductive happened a few weeks before I resigned. I drove 2 hours to Mt. Sterling, KY for a regional staff meeting. Here’s the catch—every single person in in the conference room drove from northern Cincinnati (a 2.5 hour drive) and nobody carpooled. And the craziest part—not a single person from the location we were meeting at was in attendance. Basically 12 people drove more than 2 hours to have a meeting that could have happened anywhere or via skype. Hell, it probably could have been a well-crafted email. And my 2 hour drive was the shortest commute!

Revamping my work has been transformative to every other aspect of my life. I long ago realized work-life balance is a buzzword companies use to convince potential candidates and employees they have the flexibility needed to tend to life. In reality, the more companies tout their commitment to work-life balance, the less likely they actually believe people should have lives beyond their jobs.

Being accountable to myself and my clients means the only thing that matters is results, not the number of hours I spend at a particular location. And let’s be honest, when I was in a tradition role more of those hours than I’d care to admit were spent with the distraction of social media or chatting with coworkers to pass the time. And I’m not alone. Most people are completely disengaged from work (this Gallop poll references the 68% who are checked out), so even when they’re sitting at their desk, they’re not actually producing.

Over the last 6 months, I’ve discovered that I’m most productive in the office from about 10-3. When my midday lull hits, I use that time to head home and do chores that are more mindless. Once everyone is off to bed, I crack open the laptop and tap into my creativity. Rather than forcing myself to produce when I’m drained and distracted, I structure my work around my life. So far, this is working really well.

The further away I get from the daily 8-5 grind and rush hour commute, the more I realize how unnatural that lifestyle is. And apparently, I’m not alone as this Inc.com article suggests that up to one-third of employees leave jobs in search of more flexibility. It may be only anecdotal evidence, but I speak to people all the time who are opting out of traditional employment in search of more balanced and fulfilling lives. This suggests that many peoples’ priorities are changing. I can say with certainty mine have.

Middle age has revealed how finite life is and I want to spend time with people I enjoy doing things that are rewarding. By taking back the 10 hours per week I was driving and leveraging my most productive times of day, I’ve been able to complete paid projects and flex my creative muscle with Midlife Pickle and various video projects. As I’m more and more mindful of peak times to achieve certain goals, I hope to continue to improve my productivity.

Other than the predictable, steady income I find nothing appealing about the traditional approach to work. As I’m seeing moderate amounts of progress in the gig economy, I’ve moved beyond desiring the corporate success markers of title advances and incremental raises. I’m also more and more confident I can build my business to be stable with diversified income streams. Relying on one full-time employer offers an illusion of stability but I’ve grown to appreciate the freedom more. I realize this isn’t for everyone (first and foremost I do not carry our family’s medical insurance), but the quality of life improvement is far beyond what I expected. Best of all, I rarely get stuck staring at break lights on I-471 for seemingly endless hours every week.

I challenge you to rethink the way you’re work life is structured and make just one small change to improve your life and/or productivity. As always, I’d love to hear about your situation. What kind of commute do you have? Do you feel like you have work-life balance? How many hours a week do you spend at work being unproductive?

Based in Northern Kentucky, Midlife Pickle is a blog by Mollie Bentley exploring the shock that she is smack dab in the middle of life.

Aug 28 Fighting Traffic

Based in Northern Kentucky, Midlife Pickle is a blog by Mollie Bentley exploring the shock that she is smack dab in the middle of life.

Aug 28 Fighting Traffic

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